Dancing shoe and the making thereof



Sept. 19, 1933. L. HARRIS DANCING SHOE AND THE MAKING THEREOF Filed June 25, 1931 I,/.rlllzlllllllllllllll,

YEN/5.2

Patented Sept. 19, 1933 UNITED STATES DANCING SHOE ANDTHE MAKING THEREOF Leo Harris, chicago lll.

Application June 23, 1931. Serial No. 546,269

7 Claims. 01. 36- -83) This invention relates to shoes having flexible soles, and more particularly to the class of shoes used by dancers, known as soft toe ballet slippers. I

, High-grade ballet slippers are at the present time manufactured by stitching a short sole of flexible material to the upper by hand, this is because of the character of material employed and the shape of the upper and the use to which it is put. The shape of the upper and the manner in. which the slipper is made requirethat the stitching be done by hand. This, however, is a costly and laboriousmethod and unnecessarily increases the cost of manufacture of such a slipper. v

The present invention contemplates a ballet slipper and a method of making the same wherein the stitching is done by machine, thus reducing the manufacturing cost to a marked extent.

An object of the present invention is. to provide a method for making ballet slippers wherein the upper is lasted onto an insole and secured in place by pasting or gluing with an outer sole applied over the pasted upper and the parts stitched together by machine. The manner of applying the upper enables the machine stitching.

Another object of the invention is to provide a ballet slipper having a reinforcement for the underpart of the slipper extending from the tip of the same to the front of the outer sole, which reinforcement is an integral part of the upper material and is so fashioned and made as to overlie another part of the upper material when the slipper is finished. p

A further object of the invention is to provide a stitched ballet slipper in which comfort to the wearer is assured and in which the cost of manufacture is reduced below that of hand stitching.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a ballet slipper having a reinforced portion on the bottom extending from the tip-of the slipper to the sole for increasing the life of the slipper, which reinforcement is formed as an integralpart of the slipper upper.

The above, other and further objects of the invention will be apparent. from the following description, accompanying drawing and appended claims.

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing and the views thereof are as follows:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of an upper, in extended position, utilized in practicing the method of the present invention and employed in making a slipper of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of a slipper constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional View taken substantially in the plane of line A--A of Figure 2 and showing details of construction.

The drawing will now be explained.

Figure 1 illustrates as a whole an upper conmaterial by incising a portion of the upper material.

The edges of the notches formed at the incisions are indicated at 3. The shape of the tongue and the direction of the edges cut in forming thetongue depend. of course on the design of the slipper and the character of the reinforcement to be provided for the underpart of the same.

An insole 4 is placed on a last with the top side against thelast and the bottom side is covered with adhesive material such as glue or with an adhesive paper if so desired. The upper is then lasted and pasted to the adhesively covered insole throughout the extent of the upper. In the lasting of the upper the portions of the upper engaged with the tongue or flap 1 are stretched toward each other.

During the lasting of the upper the tongue or flap; l'is free or unfastened until the upper is completely pasted to the insole. Then when the upper has been completely pasted to the insole, the tongue or flap 1 is brought against the portions of the upper immediately therebelow, that is, the portions adjacent the notches and overlyingthe edges 3. The flap or tongue 1 is pounded, if necessary. to make it lie flat against this joint. The tonguemay be pasted if desired. The tongue applied in the vmanner described provides a reinforcement for the bottom of the shoe between the tip of the slipper or shoe and the outer sole to be later applied.

An outer sole 5, preferably of elk-skin or other suitable material, is then applied over the lasted upper and is afterwards stitched by machine. Figure 2 illustrates the stitching applied to the outer sole 5, which stitching passes through the lasted upper and the insole.

The tongue or flap 1 may be stitched after it is pasted to the underlying portions of the upper and prior to the application of the outer sole 5.

A ballet slipper constructed in accordance with this invention provides a smooth insole which offers no discomfort to the foot of the wearer and in which no ridges are formed. The stitching being done by machine is even and exact and smooth. The slipper of the present invention is herein referred to as a soft toe slipper, that is, one constructed without the box usually present in ballet slippers.

The slipper made in accordance with the present invention is comfortable, snugly fits the foot of the wearer and lends itself readily to all positions of the foot in dancing. The provision of the reinforcement between the front tip of the slipper and the outer sole increases the extent of use of the slipper.

An additional lining 6 may be inserted if desired.

The lining B, of Fig. 1, represents the outline of the upper as the same is pasted to the inner sole.

The method of manufacturing the slipper of the present invention is such as to lend itself very readily to machine stitching, thus reducing to a great extent the manufacturing cost of such a slipper, as manifestly machine stitching is much more rapid and economical than is hand stitching, and in addition possesses the advantage of evenness and smoothness of character.

In the claims, the words notch and notches are used generically and not by way of limitation, and are intended to include any incising or removal of the material, as, for example, by slitting.

The invention has been herein described more or less precisely as to details, yet it is to be understood that changes may be made in the arrangement and proportions of parts and equivalents may be substituted without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A step in the method of making soft toe ballet slippers with flexible soles which consists in notching an upper to provide a single elongated tongue at the toe portion of the upper, applying the upper to an insole with the tongue projecting beyond the toe of the insole, then bringing the edges forming the notches into alignment and pasting the edges to the insole, then applying the tongue over the pasted edges, and then stitching the tongue to the underlying portion of the upper and the insole.

2. A method of making'soft toe ballet slippers with flexible soles which consists in trimming and notching anupper so as to provide a single elongated tongue at the toe, applying an insole to a last, applying adhesive to the exposed surface of the insole, stretching the upper over the insole on the last with the tongue projecting beyond the toe portion of the insole and applying the portion of the upper forming the notches to the adhesive insole and stretching the notchforming portions until the edges are closely adjacent, then pasting the tongue over the edges, then applying an outer sole over the upper and firstmentioned insole, and then fastening together the two soles by stitching.

3. A soft toe ballet slipper having a reinforced toe portion, the reinforcement extending between the tip of the slipper and the outer sole along the bottom of the slipper, said reinforcement comprising a single elongated tongue integral with the upper and formed by notching the upper, the tongue being pasted over the edges of the upper forming the notches after said edges have been lasted.

4. A method of making a soft toe ballet slipper with flexible soles, which consists in trimming a blank of material and making two spaced notches in the blank so as to form a single elongated tongue therebetween, lasting the blank and while so lasting drawing and pasting the edges forming the notches into alignment and securing them to the insole and leaving the tongue free, and then securing the tongue over said edges. 7 p

5. A method of making a soft toe ballet slipper with flexible sole, which consists in trimming a blank of material and making two'spaced notches in the blank so as to form a single elongated tongue therebetween, lasting the blank over an insole and while so lasting drawing the edges forming the notches into alignment and securing them to the insole and leaving the tongue free, then securing the tongue over said edges, and then stitching the tongue to the upper and insole.

6. A method of making soft toe ballet slippers with flexible soles, which consists in'trimming a blank of material and making two spaced notches in the blank so as to form a single elongated tongue therebetween, lasting the blank to an insole and while so lasting drawing the'edges forming the notches into alignment and securing them to the insole and leaving the tongue'free, then securing the tongue over said edges, and then applying an outer sole and stitching the outer sole to the insole, the front end of the outer sole being applied over the inner end of the tongue and spaced from the toe of the insole by substantially the length of the tongue.

7. A method of making a soft toe ballet slipper with flexible sole, which consists in-trimming a blank of material and providing two spaced notches in the blank so as to form a single elongated tongue therebetween, lasting the blank onto an insole, the blank being lasted with the edges forming the notches drawn into alignment at the toe portion of the'insole while leaving the tongue free, then pasting the tongue over the edges in superposed relation, the tongue being fashioned so as to extend from the tip of the toe rearwardly along the bottom of the slipper when finished, and then applying an outer sole over the lasted parts of the blank with the front end of the outer sole spaced from the toe'of the insole by substantially the length of the tongue, and stitching the outer sole to the lasted slipper.

' LEO HARRISJ 

